This week, Bert Church High School in Airdrie recognized the success of students for their involvement in things that don't include standard school activities like math, science and language arts. 

The school held its extra-curricular awards ceremony.  Bert Church Athletic Director Mike Sera says the awards go way past just recognizing student-athletes.  "It's an opportunity for us to recognize those individuals who are involved, not only in sports but also our drama program, our music program and we also recognized, for the first time this year, our unified athletes," says Sera.

Bert Church has become highly involved in unified sports which pairs students with intellectual disabilities with student partners.  The school sent four athletes and two teachers to represent Alberta at the Special Olympics Ontario Invitational International Youth Games where they brought back a bronze medal in bocce.  Sera says the unified sports program has done wonders for school spirit at Bert Church.  "These individuals are awesome for our school," explains Sera.  "It's been great for our school atmosphere and spirit because our student body has just engulfed these kids and they just feel like one of the guys in the crowd.  It's awesome!"

Sera says he believes it's great that the Bert Church extra-curricular awards are handed out for more than just student sports. 

"In our school, we've got a great band program, we've got a great band teacher.  They actually just got back from their Seattle trip.  It was an awesome experience for them, there's still a lot of buzz about it.  You talk to those kids and they're still excited about it.  Then we've got Kevin Goodyear who heads out drama program.  I mean he's got those kids just enthusiastic about acting and performing.  They run some phenomenal activities, plays.  Those are extra-curricular and things our students put in a lot of time outside of school time so it's great to recognize them and have them put on that level as well."

The school also took time to recognize four parents who have contributed a lot of time to programs at Bert Church.  Jon Pierce, Trevor Remus, Dawn Sorsdahl and Joel Bancroft were singled out. 

Here is a list of the award winners.

Golf MVP Taylor Foord

Football

MVP Dylan Sorsdahl

MVP - Offense Tristan Remus-Arevalo

MVP - Defense Tyler Ruck

Rookie of the Year: Josh Christman

Senior Boys Volleyball MVP Paxton DeGroot

Rookie of the Year Connor Grant

Senior Girls Volleyball MVP Andorra Pitcher

Rookie of the Year Shanessa Lehr

Junior Boys Volleyball MVP Cole Kennedy

Most Improved Player Austin Weihmann

Junior Girls Volleyball MVP Tatum Holwegner

Most Improved Player Teija White

Senior Boys Basketball MVP Jonah Morgan

Rookie of the Year Rowan Seerup

Senior Girls Basketball MVP Jocelyn Pierce

Rookie of the Year Samra Sales

Junior Boys Basketball MVP Simeon Morgan

Most Improved Player Josh Christman

Junior Girls Basketball MVP Avery McNeil

Most Improved Player Tianna Headley

Badminton MVP Luther Schmiedge

Curling MVP Kyle Middleditch

Track & Field Top Male Athlete Cameron Young

Top Female Athlete Princess Roberts

Girls Soccer MVP Tianna Headley

Rookie of the Year Hannah Jensen

Boys Soccer MVP Tyler Quinn

Rookie of the Year Ketil Eckhardt

Unified Athlete of the Year Noah Van Dewark

Partner of the Year Colter Cannon

Drama Top Male Performer Owen Belle

Drama Top Female Performer Chloe Jorgensen

Drama Newcomer Male Award Liam Hanson

Drama Newcomer Female Award Maddie McKee

Drama Technician Award Nathaniel Davis

Band

Most Outstanding Musician Wyatt Polson

Most Outstanding Jazz Musician  Wyatt Polson

Most Outstanding Band Student  Wyatt Polson

Most Outstanding Choral Student Paige McLarty

Most Improved Musician  Dylan Matwe 

Letters

“C”

Aizlee Hindman, Tristan Remus-Arevalo, Ada White, Alyssa Grieve, Brendan Lawrence,

Christian Nwokike, Hailey Dixon, Joelle Anderson, Liam Wong, Mitchell Laing, Owen Corey,

Quinn Thompson, Tristan Derrick, AJ Parker, Braydon Kennedy, Carter Bullock, Ceanna Peterson,

Charlotte Merrifield, Colby Norman, Dale Bratz, Dalton Proskiw-Valee, Faith Thompson, Jadon Currie,

Jason Dempsey, Jonah Morgan, Joshua Bancroft, Josh Weir, Mason Hart, Nigel Gooden,

Quentin Martini, Riley Koppang, Stephen Sample, Yuvraj Nagra, Ami Schaan, Brodie Weber, Cameron Young,

Molly Hope

“B”

Abby Goertzen, Carter Barfuss, Jocelyn Pierce, Alison Barfuss, Jordan Hay, Paxton DeGroot,

Quentin Martini, Tyler Quinn

LOGO

David Moody

Plaque – Athletic Excellence Award

Parent Award

Jon Pierce

Trevor Remus

Dawn Sorsdahl

Joel Bancroft

Grade 9/10 Female Athlete of the Year

Isabella Bailey

Grade 9/10 Male Athlete of the Year

Cameron Young

Grade 11/12 Female Athlete of the Year

Jocelyn Pierce

Grade 11/12 Male Athlete of the Year

David Moody